1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of acoustic detection of events on the bottom of a body of water. More specifically, the invention relates to devices for detecting the position and magnitude of gas leaks.
2. Background Art
Equipment disposed beneath the sea floor, such as natural gas pipelines, are subject to leaks and other faults. Such leaks can create safety hazards. It is desirable to have a system and method for precisely locating and monitoring such leaks without the need to unearth the pipeline.
International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2009/062286, the patent application for which is commonly owned with the present invention, describes an array of acoustic sensors disposed in lines traversing a radial or “star” pattern for seismic imaging of formations below the sea floor. Such arrays are beam steered to image selected points in the subsurface. The principle of such arrays may be adapted to locate pipeline leaks or other sources of acoustic noise originating near, on or below the sea floor.